The Performance Mindset: The Messages Have Been Received

Some related messages that we performance testers have been communicating for a few years might finally be getting heard! The most prominent of those messages being:

Test early, test often

Performance testing is not an event, it is a process

Integrate performance testing at every phase of the development process

How do I know that these messages are being heard and acted upon? While I don’t have knowledge of the testing habits of all performance testing customers around the world, I am able to detect a trend within the SmartBear customer base. From what I’ve seen, that trend over the last year or two has been heading toward:

More tests earlier in the year, with follow-up testing scheduled for a later date.

More before and after testing

Increased questions regarding unit and component testing

Increased interest in testing packages (multiple tests over time)

I see all of this as very positive! If issues are caught early, ample time is available to resolve them. Also, by running a series of tests over time, you are able to fix many more bottlenecks and more positively affect the performance and scalability of your application(s).

I must admit, it’s still early in the year and possibly too early to reach conclusions about how well customers will do when crunch time arrives – but the early indications are positive!